BETA is conducting research in partnership with the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) to understand what messaging is most effective at improving knowledge and awareness of various aspects of the Census of Population and Housing (Census). The Census is undertaken every five years by the ABS, with the next Census to be held in 2026.
The research will include interviews and a survey experiment to design and test communication approaches and evaluate their effect on people’s knowledge and awareness of administrative data use in the Census. The findings will be used to inform the ABS’s broader communications strategy for the 2026 Census.
Trial start and end dates
March – August 2025
Ethics approval
Macquarie University Human Research Ethics Committee Project ID: 19171
Research participants
Approx. 6000
Design
Online survey experiment
Interventions
Social media messages
Outcome measures
Willingness to complete the 2026 Census, attitudes and knowledge of the Census.